New manager at a young age
I have been working in the admissions department for 4 years and I recently got promoted to manager. I am worried the department will not take me seriously and it will be hard to get them to respect me as their manager. Any suggestions?
Jennifer,
one huge step is that you are aware of this concern.
Hopefully you built a strong reputation as a hard worker & someone who could be trusted over the past four years; if so this will go far to helping you now.
I would suggest making sure you listen to all parties. Don't assume you know everything that needs to be changed & don't fall into the "quick win" trap. Many new, young managers feel they need to come in & change something & get a quick win. Take your time & build those relationships.
Hope this helps.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I’m in my late 20’s and I have been a manager for the past 6 years. I have struggled with managing older adults. Some individuals believe that because of their age they know better which is not always correct.
Carolina,
this is true & also we sometimes confuse leadership with being the subject matter expert. You can't be the manager if you don't know as much or more than I do, but this is not the case at all. Demonstrate that you want to learn from their experience, but your abilities also make you well suited to be the manager.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I feel that same way many of you do. Gaining the respect of older employees/coworkers can be hard. As someone in a leadership position now, I found it a struggle for a while to gain the respect of my peers.
